Newcastle yesterday confirmed it has received a takeover bid of around £160 million. Electronics giants Sony are believed to be interested in the club, but any takeover rests on whether BSkyB's bid for Manchester United succeeds.
An announcement made to the City by Newcastle plc yesterday morning after shares rose by 10p did not name who had made the offer.
The statement read: "Newcastle United plc has noted the recent movement in the company's share price and the speculation regarding a possible offer for the company.
"The company confirms that a preliminary approach has been made which may or may not lead to an offer for the club.
"The company has been informed that any offer would not be made until the Monopolies and Mergers Commission has reported on the offer by BSkyB plc for Manchester United plc."
David Platt will be confirmed as coach of Serie A side Sampdoria by the end of the week, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Platt, who helped Sampdoria win an Italian Cup during his playing days, will work out details of his contract this week when he returns from Hong Kong, where he is with England's Under-16 side, the agency said. At 32, he would be the youngest coach in Serie A.
Platt retired as a player last summer, following a 14-year career in which he played for Serie A sides Sampdoria, Bari and Juventus, plus Crewe, Aston Villa and Arsenal. He scored 209 goals in 500 matches.
Chris Waddle (38) has joined the coaching staff at Sheffield Wednesday. The former Owls star, who has been training at Hillsborough, has accepted a permanent role as part of Danny Wilson's backroom team.
Wilson has handed his former team-mate the chance to step back into football after Waddle's brief foray into management at Second Division Burnley turned sour.
Former Manchester United stalwart Brian McClair could make his final appearance for Motherwell tomorrow when they face Dundee in the Scottish Premier League at Fir Park.
The 35-year-old midfielder has been given the green light to become Brian Kidd's assistant at Blackburn. Blackburn confirmed yesterday they are negotiating with McClair to come to Ewood Park.
They are optimistic he will agree to team up with Kidd to form a managerial partnership of Old Trafford old boys.
A Blackburn spokesman said: "We have had talks with Motherwell, and things are progressing."
Liverpool, meanwhile, have now been linked with a top Polish international centre-half on the day that they had two high-quality European defenders training with them for the first time.
They are also reportedly interested in the French goalkeeper from the Celta Vigo side that dumped them out of the UEFA Cup last week.
Anfield chief Gerard Houllier yesterday wheeled in Dynamo Kiev's strong man defender Olexandr Golovko and Cameroon World Cup star Rigobert Song to Liverpool's Mellwood training ground along with Tony Silva, a 23year-old goalkeeper from Monaco.
While those three were being put through their paces, it was being claimed Liverpool had tabled a £2.75 million bid for Polish international Tomasz Lapinksi.
Widzew Lodz president Andre Pawelec confirmed: "We have had an approach for Lapinski from Liverpool." The 29 year-old, who has 24 caps for his country, is also interesting Roma and Hamburg.
